Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners convicted of serious violent crimes were released halfway through their sentence in 2020-21.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average custodial sentence length is for prisoners convicted of a serious violent offence.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many standard determinate sentences enabling halfway release were handed down in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Alex Chalk: In order to answer these questions, it would be necessary to establish the number of serious violent offenders affected by the Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2020 but this could only be done at disproportionate cost. Most offenders given a standard determinate sentence (SDS) must be released automatically at the halfway point of the sentence. Since the implementation of this Order, however, anyone sentenced on or after 1 April 2020 and given an SDS of 7 years or more for serious sexual or violent offences where the maximum penalty is a life sentence is required to spend two-thirds – rather than half – of that sentence in prison before being released on licence. Data on sentencing outcomes by offence, including average custodial sentence length, is published here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987715/outcomes-by-offence-2020.xlsx

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a consistent message across Government communication channels that there is no legal requirement to self-isolate if notified by the NHS covid-19 phone app.

Jo Churchill: As cases continue rising it is vital that people are aware of their personal risk so that they can make informed decisions on their behaviour to protect those around them. The NHS COVID-19 app is doing exactly what it was designed to do - informing close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 that they are at risk and advising them to isolate. Our communications campaigns and messaging across government reflects the latest scientific advice about the importance of self-isolation. The NHS COVID-19 app continues to be an important tool in response to the pandemic.

Nutrition

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of calories per day by which a person's diet will be reduced as a result of the restrictions proposed by the Government on (a) foods high in fat, salt or sugar, (b) broadcast advertising of those foods and (c) online advertising of those foods.

Jo Churchill: Obesity is a complex problem caused by many different factors to which there is no single solution. We know that regular overconsumption of a relatively small number of calories leads to individuals becoming overweight or obese. Taking action to help reduce this excess calorie consumption will decrease obesity prevalence and obesity related ill health over time. “Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives” takes forward a wide range of measures that all contribute towards this goal, including by reshaping the food environment, providing people with a healthier choice and encouraging them to take it. The Government published its response to the 2019 consultation ‘Introducing further advertising restriction on TV and online for products high in fat, sugar and salt’ and the 2020 consultation ‘Introducing a total online advertising restriction for products high in fat, sugar and salt’ on 24 June, confirming we will introduce a 9pm TV watershed for high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) product advertising, as well as a restriction of paid-for HFSS advertising online. We have estimated the restrictions could remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets per year in the United Kingdom which, over the coming years, could reduce the number of obese children by more than 20,000.

Females: Health Services

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to tackle (a) pre- and (b) post- covid-19 inequalities and intersectional issues affecting adolescents and young women accessing sexual and reproductive health services; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department is developing a new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, which will be published in 2021. We are considering issues relating to inequalities in access to sexual and reproductive health services as part of the process to develop the Strategy.The recent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency reclassification of desogestrel means that women can now purchase a progestogen-only contraceptive from a pharmacy following a detailed consultation with a pharmacist. This reclassification is an important step towards improving women's health by widening access to sexual and reproductive health services and providing all women with more choice in the provision of safe and effective contraception. Progestogen-only contraception will continue to be available free from prescription charge from general practitioners and sexual and reproductive health services, as is the case for all prescribed contraception.